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“I have never, in my life, assaulted anyone and I remain confident that the truth will prevail,” singer says

By Kory Grow

February 25, 2015

An investigation into sexual assault allegations against 74-year-old musician Sir Cliff Richard has “increased significantly in size,” U.K. police recently disclosed. The singer, who is best known for a string of U.K. hits with the group the Shadows, previously faced only one claim against him, but now authorities say he faces multiple allegations. He has not been arrested or charged, but The Telegraph reports police have previously raided his home in Berkshire, U.K., in association with the claims last August.

“I have no idea where these absurd and untrue allegations come from,” Richard wrote on his Facebook page in response. “The police have not disclosed details to me. I have never, in my life, assaulted anyone and I remain confident that the truth will prevail. I have cooperated fully with the police, and will, of course, continue to do so.”

The singer went on to say that he would not comment on the matter further until the investigation was done, “which I hope will be very soon,” he added. But that might not be the case, though. In a letter that South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable David Crompton sent to a member of parliament, the BBC reports, he wrote, “It would be premature and potentially misleading to predict a likely date when it will be concluded.”

The alleged victim who made the first allegation was under the age of 16 at the time of the reported assault, according to The Telegraph, which is said to have occurred at a speaking event held by American Christian evangelist Billy Graham in June 1985. No details on the other complaint or complaints are currently public.

Although the police did not offer any further comment on the investigation, other than it was ongoing, The Associated Pressreports they said that Richard has been cooperative.

Richard rose to prominence in the late Fifties with songs like his Drifters single “Living Doll,” a U.K. Number One that reached Number 30 in the U.S., and many U.K. hits with the Shadows like “Travellin’ Light.” He achieved his greatest chart success in the U.S. with “Devil Woman,” a tune that appeared on his 1976 album I’m Nearly Famous. He was knighted in 1995.

Like this:

This video about Ukraine with French and English subtitles says about itself:

9 February 2015

A bit amateur translation of the Ruslan Kotsaba video. Had to translate from the French and did it with no subtitle editor… but, it´s quite accurate I hope. Sync is hopeless and some misspellings, but that´s not the point of the video.

Ruslan Kotsaba posted a video addressed to the Ukrainian president, Petro Poroshenko, last week in which he said he would rather go to prison for five years for draft-dodging than fight pro-Russia rebels in the country’s east. Now he faces 15 years in jail after being arrested for treason and obstructing the military.

This 9 February 2015 video is called Ukrainian journalist Ruslan Kotsaba arrested for treason for blog[ging].

His case is symptomatic of Kiev’s difficulties in mobilising a war-weary society to continue the fight against the rebels, who appear to have an unlimited supply of weapons and training from Russia. As the country nears bankruptcy and the reform programme demanded by the Maidan revolution last year is sidelined by the war effort, the drive to call up new recruits is floundering.

The conflict has cost more than 5,000 lives since it began last spring and Russia shows no signs of toning down its backing for the separatist movement. Poroshenko is due to meet his Russian, French and German counterparts in Minsk on Wednesday, and the financial and emotional burden of months of conflict could mean Ukraine is forced to accept a deal that effectively gives up control of rebel-held territory.

Ukrainian men aged 25-60 are eligible for conscription and 75,000 have been called up, of whom 60% will enter service, Poroshenko claimed last week. Preference is given to men with military experience.

A government decree regulates foreign travel for those subject to mobilisation. It means people could be arrested at border checkpoints, with those guilty of draft-dodging facing up to five years in prison – a law which provided the basis for Kotsaba’s video.

Why are ordinary people being called up to fight against terrorists?
Iryna Vereshchuk, mayor of Rava-Ruska

Amnesty International has called on Ukrainian authorities to free the journalist immediately and declared him a prisoner of conscience.

“You can take different views on Ruslan Kotsaba’s position, but by arresting him for stating a particular viewpoint, the Ukrainian authorities are violating the key human right of freedom of thought, which Ukrainians stood up for on the Maidan,” said Tetiana Mazur, director of Amnesty International in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian security services claim that Kotsaba’s arrest has nothing to do with his journalistic activities. “This is not a fight against Kotsaba as [a] journalist, but there are suspicions against him as a citizen of Ukraine,” said SBU senior adviser Markian Lubkivskyi, who said officers had found “evidence of serious crimes” among Kotsaba’s belongings. He declined to elaborate.

The government has denied there is a major problem with mobilisation, and Pavlo Kyshar, an MP who fought with the Donbass [sic; Donbas] volunteer battalion, said there are few people who do not want to fight.

But testimony from the regions, especially in western Ukraine, tells a different story.

“At least here mobilisation has been a total failure,” said Iryna Vereshchuk, mayor of the small town of Rava-Ruska, in the far west of Ukraine. “People don’t understand what they are fighting against. If it’s a war, why has no war been declared? Why are ordinary people being called up to take part in a fight against terrorists?”

The government has avoided officially declaring a state of war, instead referring to the operations in the east as an anti-terrorism operation, despite clear evidence of Russian military incursion. Part of the reason for this is the fact that Kiev would have trouble securing a much-needed support package from the International Monetary Fund if it was officially at war.

“Martial law would mean a lot of restrictions, including on freedom of speech, democratic freedoms and would have a lot of consequences. It would be the complete transfer of the country on to a military track,” said Ihor Lapin, a fighter with the Aidar volunteer battalion who is now an MP.

Vereshchuk said attitudes have hardened in her town as locals who went to fight returned in coffins. Of about 100 call-up papers meant to be distributed as part of the latest wave of mobilisation, only six had been given out. In the other cases, the men had hidden or could not be found, she said.

“We still have diplomatic and financial links with Russia and yet people are saying we have to go and fight their troops and die,” said Vereshchuk. “If our region was coming under attack, people would take up arms, but they are not ready to go to the east and end up killing other Ukrainian citizens.”

The fear of conscription has been exploited by the Russians, with the president, Vladimir Putin, ordering officials to change laws to allow any Ukrainian men escaping the draft to stay in Russia for longer.

“Ukrainian citizens cannot stay in Russia for more than 30 days. After that they have to return to Ukraine where they are being caught and sent under the bullets again. That is why I think that we are going to change something in that law,” said Putin with carefully calibrated concern.

A series of gruesome videos, sometimes shown on Russian television, has increased the psychological pressure on Ukrainians. … Add to that the inevitable swirl of wartime rumour. In Kiev, Andrei, a 24-year-old engineering student, says he hopes the war will finish before his 25th birthday, after which he could be called up.

“A friend of mine told me his friend was down there in the east and they ran into Chechens, who sliced off all their testicles. There were about 100 of them, and the Chechens castrated the lot of them. If I get called up, I think I’ll go into hiding. I want a family and kids.”

The start of world peace– an individual’s decision to refuse to go to war, even if it costs him his life. “I’m not on this earth to kill poor people” he says. An anthem of pacifists all around the world. Words by Boris Vian, music Harold Berg. 1954 Video by Galaico Borges of YouTube Thanks to Phillipe Chek of YouTube and of Paris for suggesting I translate and post this important chanson.

Martial law could be imposed by the Ukrainian government if fighting continues to rage with separatists in the country’s east.

President Petro Poroshenko threatened the measure, usually used during conflicts or coups to increase military power, on Wednesday according to the Interfax news agency.

Since last week’s announcement that Washington may directly arm the pro-NATO Ukrainian regime in Kiev, the rhetoric of the US government and its European allies has become increasingly reckless and extreme. Amid all the bellicose statements, no one is stating clearly what the cost in human lives of a broader conflict over Ukraine might be, what limits it would have, or whether it could escalate into a nuclear exchange between Russia and NATO: here.

Further evidence has emerged that the deadly shootings on Independence Square (Maidan) in Kiev last February, in the final stages of the NATO-backed putsch that ousted pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, were carried out by the far-right: here.

“LGSM raised money for the delighted community in south Wales for no other reason than that they saw all our struggles have common cause,” he added.

“We do incredible things when we all stand together — unite!”

Founding LGSM member Mike Jackson was on the picket line by the red carpet.

He told the Star the main hope he had for the movie was that it could be shown in places where LGBT communities were still fighting a very hard battle.

As he waited for a phone interview with the Polish press, he said: “If (Pride) can help break down prejudices and make people think about solidarity then that would be one of the best things about this movie.”

Other activists expressed their hopes that the success of Pride would also prove that there is an appetite out there for politics, comradeship and justice.

Ritzy Living Wage campaigner Rob Lugg said: “In an immediate sense, people are really responding to the issue of local grassroots campaigns and to these grassroots campaigns having real successes.”

The cinema worker giggled at the thought of the south London arthouse fight for a decent pay being one day made into film. But he added: “For us, the most important thing is the effect it has now.”

Assistance in video editing was provided by Rob Birdsey, a volunteer with the National Trust for Scotland.

Donate today: TEXT KWAF93 and your gift amount to 70070 (You can give £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 and £10 e.g. ‘KWAF93 £10 to 70070). All donations go towards the Trust’s work at Kintail, West Affric and the Falls of Glomach.

The music for several of the Kintail and West Affric videos has been provided by Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd (The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music) located at Plockton High School. The music school is for secondary school aged students, and provides a centre for talented young traditional musicians from across Scotland to develop their skills to the full. You can help support the school and the young musicians helping to keep Scotland’s rich heritage of traditional music alive: visit www.musicplockton.org/ for more information.

A few days after the attacks on the World Trade Towers in New York, singer songwriter David Rovics came into the studios of WERU Community Radio, in East Orland Maine, where I recorded his performance of this live version, perhaps the first time the song was performed in public, certainly the first time it was recorded. Meanwhile the world watched and waited to see what the United States would do- take the high road toward peace or follow the drumbeat to war.

Affidavits filed with Federal District Judge George P. Daniels substantiate claims that leading figures in the Saudi monarchy, including its longtime ambassador to Washington, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a nephew of the current Saudi monarch, King Salman, financially supported Al Qaeda.

The documents include a deposition from Zacarias Moussaoui, the only individual convicted of direct participation in the plot to hijack airplanes and fly them into the World Trade Center and other US targets on September 11, 2001.

He also described working as a courier for bin Laden, bringing messages to members of the Saudi royal family, including Prince Salman, then the governor of Riyadh, who today is King Salman after succeeding to the throne last month.

The New York Times published lead articles Wednesday and Thursday highlighting the new allegations of Saudi backing for the 9/11 attacks. These had less the character of an exposé, however, than of a semi-official attempt to contain the impact of the material being released as a consequence of the 9/11 families’ lawsuit.

This is the apparent reason for the articles’ near-exclusive focus on Moussaoui, a witness whose testimony can be more easily dismissed by the political establishment. The legal papers filed with the federal district court included Moussaoui’s deposition, but much more, including allegations of Saudi complicity in 9/11 from such pillars of the Washington establishment as former senator Robert Graham of Florida. He wrote, “I am convinced that there was a direct line between at least some of the terrorists who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks and the government of Saudi Arabia.”

Graham is in a position to know. He chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2002 when it produced a lengthy report on the 9/11 attacks. This included a 28-page section on Saudi support to the 9/11 hijackers that was classified and suppressed by the Bush administration, an act of censorship that was endorsed and continued by the Obama administration. Senator Graham, who favors the release of this material, wrote, “The 28 pages primarily relate to who financed 9/11, and they point a very strong finger at Saudi Arabia as being the principal financier.”

The evidence of Saudi complicity in the 9/11 attacks is a devastating exposure of the fraudulent nature of the “war on terror,” the axis of US national security policy for more than 13 years.

The Bush administration used the 9/11 attacks as the pretext for wars against Afghanistan, whose government had provided shelter to Osama bin Laden, but had no involvement in 9/11, and against Iraq, which had no connection to either 9/11 or Al Qaeda. Meanwhile Saudi Arabia, the country that supplied Al Qaeda’s funds, its principal leader, and 15 of the 19 hijackers, was deemed a key US ally.

Every official investigation into the 9/11 attacks had to whitewash the Saudi connection—or be censored, like the Senate Intelligence Committee report. The issue was not just the reactionary role of the Saudi monarchy in financing and supporting Al Qaeda, but the close ties between US intelligence agencies and the supposedly anti-American terrorist group—connections on which the latest Times articles are completely silent. …

ISIS itself is a product of this insidious relationship. It originates in the Sunni fundamentalist backlash to the US invasion of Iraq in 2003—prior to the US invasion, there was no Al Qaeda presence in Iraq. Al Qaeda in Iraq reemerged as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, one of the strongest Islamist groups fighting against the Assad government in Syria, with the aid and training of the US, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It was only when ISIS fighters crossed back over into Iraq and began attacking the US-backed puppet regime in Baghdad that the group became the target of US bombs and propaganda.

Yet at the center of the entire “war on terror” is a monumental and brazen lie, the claim that 19 hijackers plotted and carried out a major attack on New York City and Washington, D.C., without anyone in the vast US military-intelligence apparatus being aware of what they were preparing. The latest revelations about the Saudi role in 9/11 are another blow against this web of fabrication and cover-up.

The White House may declassify still-secret sections of an official inquiry into the 9/11 terrorist attacks which refer to possible Saudi Arabian support: here.

How the legal punishments handed out in Saudi Arabia compare to those of Isis: here.

US and Saudi Arabia: Dysfunctional partners depend on each other for survival: here.

Last week, the new SYRIZA minister in charge of ERT, Nikos Pappas, said that all workers will be re-employed but hasn’t put forward any plans.

POSPERT have issued proposals for a state ERT where workers’ committees and managerial ‘co-ordinators’ would be responsible for the running and programmes.

POSPERT have stated that there should be no employment of strike-breakers and scabs.

It has also proposed that all workers at ERT should be full-time employees and that TV and radio programmes should be produced by ERT with no external producers involved.

The Greek local government workers’ union POE-OTA have called a half-day stoppage in the Athens area for this Friday in protest against the trial of the whole General Council of the union regarding an October 2011 strike. POE-OTA demands that all charges are dropped.

While Greek workers are pushing ahead with their demands, supported during the election campaign last month by SYRIZA, the new Finance Minister Yianis Varoufakis has said that there won’t be any re-nationalisations, while state companies in the process of privatisation will be sold off.

The State Gas Company DEPA is in that process. But the new Production Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, leader of SYRIZA’s Left Platform, has stated that DEPA would not be sold, although he was not certain about the distribution company DESFA.

Last Tuesday, Lafazanis announced that gas and other energy household bills could be cut by as much as 20 per cent along with the price of petrol.

Since last week, patients at state hospitals have refused to pay the 5 euro fee and the 1 euro prescription charge.